Police officer shot

In critical but stable condition early today.

In critical but stable condition early today.

April 22, 2006|TOM MOOR and GWEN O'BRIEN Tribune Staff Writers

SOUTH BEND -- A South Bend police officer was shot at 1314 Clover St. at about 10:40 p.m. Friday, Capt. John Williams said. The officer was rushed to Memorial Hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition. He was released from surgery at 12:45 a.m. A possible suspect was found in the parking lot of St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, police said. Police are asking anyone with A-positive blood to go to the downtown blood bank this morning. Police had Mishawaka Avenue between Twyckenham Drive and Sample Street blocked off, but police cars could be seen more than a quarter mile east of Twyckenham. Police were not letting any cars through, and one man, who said he lives one street over from Clover, was not able to go to his home at midnight. Most of the police cars were stationed at the corner of Mishawaka Avenue and Twyckenham Drive. Rhonda Nickerson and Carol Francis of South Bend were driving to a coffee shop on that corner when Francis said she heard five or six loud gun shots. "The shots were really loud," Francis said. Police pointed guns at them and asked to see identification. They were then asked to go into the coffee store, where they weren't allowed to leave for more than 40 minutes. "They questioned us, and we went in," Nickerson said. St. Joseph County Metro Homicide was investigating the shooting. Metro Homicide always investigates shootings that are serious or life threatening, and if a police officer is injured.